


SBIDND Oneshots & Prompts

by arsonblade, VILBURSOOT



Series: The SBIDND au [5]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dungeons & Dragons, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst with a Happy Ending, Crying, Dadza, Family Dynamics, Fight Scene, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Found Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Nightmares, Niki is badass in this au, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parental Figure Philza, Philza Minecraft is so Cool, Rain, Swearing, Tommy feels bad, Tommy likes gold n tries to take some of Phils bwabwa, WHO ADDED THE WILBUR HAS TEETH TAG, Wilbur Soot has Teeth, Wilbur gets lost, Wilbur goes into the rain and he Frolics, haha it'll only get worse from here, hey girl im crying, made not pg thanks to Tommy smh, niki and phil kick ass, some of these may be short
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-11
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:01:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27498379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arsonblade/pseuds/arsonblade, https://archiveofourown.org/users/VILBURSOOT/pseuds/VILBURSOOT
Summary: Basically just a book full of events that happen at some points in the au :](definitely didn't make this so we didn't clog up the series haha guys omg)Feel free to give prompts in da comments !!
Relationships: BARKS SO LOUD, No Romantic Relationship(s)
Series: The SBIDND au [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2008543
Comments: 31
Kudos: 272





	1. Vespertine

**Author's Note:**

> YEP YEP HI WILBS ARSONBLADE WITH DA FIRST ONE !
> 
> Just some happy fluff with dadza n tommy :] also this is really short im sorry
> 
> [twitter moment of designs n other au stuff here!!](https://twitter.com/i/events/1325420950234386433)

Tommy shuffled closer to the bag after a moment of silence, watching Phil’s sleeping form carefully as he undid the clasp. Once open, slowly with a shaky hand, he reached in and rummaged for any of the gold the aasimar was wearing earlier that day.

_Clink.. clink_

_‘Shit.’_

Although not terribly loud, Tommy still panicked, quickly drawing his hand back from the bag, shuffling away and causing his boots to scuff against the dirt ground, and knock over Phil’s bag in the process. The noise being enough to stir the man in question from his sleep, and the older man sleepily sat up, rubbing his eyes as he looked around their temporary camp. His eyes fell onto Tommy, and he sat up a little more, confused.

“Tommy..? What’re you doing up?”

Embarrassed from being caught, the young tiefling turned towards the now cold fire, tail twitching. “ ‘m not doing anything.. I.. I couldn’t sleep.” He mumbled, hoping the other would just believe him and go back to sleep. He heard a sigh, and shuffling. Tommy sat there, waiting. He waited until he was sure Phil was asleep again. Seconds passed, he was already tired of waiting. Tommy turned around and was met with a long, gold band sitting on the ground behind him innocently. Immediately, he snatched it, holding it close to himself. 

Hearing a small chuckle, he looked up and saw Phil, still sitting there. His bag now moved. Tommy immediately flushed at his actions, fidgeting with the gold band. “Y’know, Tommy, you could’ve just asked.” Tommy shook his head, “Didn’t know you’d just.. just Give it to me that easily..”

Another chuckle, Phil leaned over to ruffle Tommy’s hair, who immediately swatted at the hand, before laying back down. “Well.. now you do. Goodnight, Tommy.”

“...G’night Phil.”


	2. Celeritous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was supposed to be an easy mission, according to Phil. 
> 
> or,
> 
> Niki & Phil kick ass

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YEP ARSONBLADE WRITING. YEP ARSONBLADE WRITING
> 
> another short one :] got given the prompt on twitter of "niki fighting, phil fighting something else, someone cheering them on"

It was supposed to be an easy mission, according to Phil. 

Niki certainly didn’t find it an ‘easy’ mission as she swung her warhammer towards another undead, letting out a small huff as it rested by her side, she took a moment to catch her breath, blasting an approaching creature with a ray of holy magic. She wondered if being ambushed was a common thing for her four companions, this being the third time, in the short amount of weeks she’s spent with them, that they’ve been ambushed on a mission. Snapping out of her thoughts, she quickly dodged out of the way of a slash, swinging her warhammer and sending the undead attacking her flying. 

From the side, she heard a quiet  _ ‘Whoop!’  _ come from Wilbur, who ended up stuck to a tree along with Tommy, the latter currently shouting that he wanted in on the fighting. She smiled at him, raising her hand at an oncoming undead, another blast of magic turning it into nothing.

“Yeah! Pop off Niki!!” Wilbur cheered, kicking at an undead that got uncomfortably close to him. Techno jumping in to finish the creature off, “Don’t distract her, some of us are tryin’ to fight and save your asses.” The hogfolk grumbled.

Niki laughed, shaking her head before focusing back on the fight, raising her warhammer again, she rushed forward, Techno following her, axe raised.

* * *

In hindsight, Phil  _ really  _ should’ve checked everything the mission mentioned, specifically the forest they were all currently trapped inside. He assumed it was a simple  _ “Find this lost thing I can’t be bothered to get”  _ mission, never expecting undead creatures to be hiding within.

So that’s how he ended up, in the air fighting against a pack of ghouls, he grit his teeth as another ran towards him, holding up his shield, he spoke a quick incantation and swung at the ghoul with his sword, thorny vines sprouting and entangling the undead within, causing it to shriek and wriggle. 

He flew slightly away, just out of reach of the incoming claws of another ghoul, hissing in surprise when he felt teeth connect with the skin on his arm, with another mumble of incantation, his sword lit up brightly as he swung it towards the creature, radiant light flying off of the blade and sending the ghoul flying backwards, screaming and covering its face. 

He let out a shaky sigh, down below he heard Wilbur cheering, shouting  _ ‘Fuck ‘em up Niki and Phil!’ _ followed by Tommy’s yelling of  _ ‘KICK THEIR UNDEAD BITCH ASSES. MAKE ‘EM DIE TWICE FOR STICKING ME TO THIS FUCKIN’ TREE!!’ _

Phil let out a breathy laugh, reading his sword again for the oncoming ghouls, wings flapping hard as he braced for impact.


	3. Floresta

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil and Niki go foraging in the forest, and they learn a little about each other as well.

“They’re a lively bunch, aren’t they?” Niki mused, picking up her woven basket from where it was sat on her porch.

Phil laughed, “That’s a nicer way to put it, I suppose. I can tell them to quieten down if you’d like,”

”No no! It’s alright. It’s been a while since my house has felt so lively, if anything I have to thank you!” She waved her hands reassuringly, a bright smile on her face. Phil eased up at the sight, feeling less guilty for his rowdy family.

The walk to the forest line was a comforting silence, Phil looked curiously around at anything that he could see. The temptation to spread his wings out and fly off into the sky was squashed down as much as he could manage. He’d asked to go foraging with Niki the day before, when it was afternoon and they were both sat out on her porch whilst the three other males slept soundly in the guest room.

Phil moved his hand blindly around the inside of his satchel, plucking out the thin linen with the list the boys had given him.

“Alright so, Tommy wants ‘something sweet, or sour, just anything but... uh.. mushrooms!’” Phil skipped over the scribbled word right before mushrooms, one that was a little too profane for him to willingly say to the elf girl.

Niki brushed her hands over the leaves of bushes as they walked deeper and deeper into the forest.

“There are some berry bushes a bit deeper in that he’d probably like. We’d have to be careful we don’t pick the fire berries, they look really similar,” she hummed passively. Phil let out a nervous chuckle, but stopped walking once he realised Niki wasn’t kidding.

“Excuse me but, what the hell is a fire berry?”

“Well, that’s what we’ve always called them. They make your tongue tingly, and it hurts - like your mouth is on fire, so they’re fire berries!”

Phil paused for another moment, then nodded, “Yeah, let’s try to avoid feeding Tommy any of those. Tech’ said he’d just like whatever is available, but he likes savoury foods more than anything. And Wil was still asleep, he was exhausted from the fight so I left him sleeping, but he’d probably eat anything he gets given.”

Niki nodded, crouching down to pick some fungi off a log, “We’ll meet back here, don’t take too long! Remember to only take what you need and be careful what you’re picking!”

And with that, they split their seperate ways.

* * *

Phil returned with a nearly full basket, mushrooms, and berries, and the stems of some plants he read about in a book many months ago. Niki’s basket was neatly organised into sections, and it had a larger variety of forgeable goods.

The elf surveyed what Phil had collected, “Oh! Have you tried those stems before?” She pointed toward the thick stems that he’d uprooted.

“I haven’t personally tried them myself, but I read about them in a book once. Must’ve been before I’d even met Tommy.”

“They’re delicious! Once you get the outer bits, cut off, you soak the insides in a pot of water. The next day they’re a bright purple colour! And they taste like a mix of orange, lemon and raspberry,” she picked it out from Phil’s basket, ripping a little part of the ‘outer’ stem to reveal a less fibrous, fleshy inside.

Phil poked it with his finger, letting out a little yelp when a thin, slimy string stuck to his finger. Niki giggled, covering her face with her free hand.

“I’m guessing that’s why you’ve got to soak them,” Phil sheepishly grinned, wiping the sticky substance off his finger and onto his pants.

Niki put the stem back into Phil’s basket. Picking hers off the ground, Niki began to walk through the forest, “We’ll take a little detour around, hopefully there’s some better mushrooms up this area. I couldn’t find any of the nicer tasting ones over in my area.”

The comfortable silence returned, and it seemed there wasn’t ever an awkward moment with Niki. She’d never been judgemental of the group, even when they were battered up and exhausted from the battle. It was comforting, and a breath of fresh air.

Niki bent down, plucking a few leaves from a bush with feathery leaves, “I didn’t want to be intrusive, but is tommy your son?” She asked, her tone let Phil know he didn’t have to answer if he didn’t want to. Phil wasn’t ashamed of his family, though, so he smiled and looked to the trees.

“Not by blood, no. But I’d like to say I consider him my son, he’s a little shit most of the time, but I do love him. Don’t tell him that though, we haven’t really...” and Phil stopped for a moment, faltering as he tried to find the words for his and Tommy’s relationship, “we haven’t spoken about it yet.”

Niki stayed quiet, and Phil felt his chest feel a little lighter by just talking about it. About his family.

“He reminds me of an old friend. He was a Tabaxi, he had just as much energy as Tommy.”

“I’m sorry-“

Niki stopped him, waving her hands over her chest reassuringly, “He’s just moved away, decided to move to the nearby city in hopes of pursuing his dream of becoming an artificer. He was very talented,” she said, a bright smile on her face as she spoke.

Phil waited for the elf to pick up the mushrooms they spotted on the route back to her cottage. The forest was very serene, lush greens with vibrant splashes of colours from the native flora that the aasimar had never seen before.

Soon enough, they were out of the forest, and the cottage was in view. Along with Techno, who sat on the porch staring towards the clouds.

He waved at the pair before he stood up, and walked back inside, Phil expected that he’d be telling Tommy and Wilbur that they were back.

Walking in, the house was - surprisingly - not a mess, Tommy and Wilbur were sat on the worn couch in Niki’s living area, reading a book. As they walked into the kitchen, Phil could hear Wilbur spelling out the words to Tommy, trying to help him follow along.

“Try reading this bit for me,”

“Um, dumb-word, these fl.. flowers come in many.. colours-”

“Hydrangea.”

“Shut up Wilbur, it makes no sense.”

Phil smiled to himself, putting his basket onto the table where Niki placed hers. Techno peered over to the two baskets, critiquing them silently.

The hog-folk snorted, “Yeah, Niki clearly knows what she’s doing. Stick to flyin, bud.”

“It was my first time foraging Tech’, I can’t be good at everything,” he said, faking being offended. Niki giggled quietly from beside him, dropping some mushrooms in her pail of water.

She reached over, whisking a few more up out of her basket, “Foraging doesn’t come naturally to people, but you can make a good start by reading and knowing what’ll hurt you and what won’t. Phil did excellent for his first go.”

“Yeah Technoblade.”

“She’s just trying to make you feel better.”

“Ooh! Food!” Tommy appeared between Techno and Phil, pushing between them while they bickered, “Can I eat some?”

Niki didn’t look back at Tommy, busy washing the mushrooms one by one in the water, “Yeah! Those red berries in my basket should be tasty, don’t eat the stalk.”

But before Niki had finished, and before Phil or Techno could warn the tiefling that he was reaching into Phil’s basket and not Niki’s, he’d shoved a handful of bright red berries into his mouth.

He chewed happily for a moment, before all hell broke loose.

“MY MOUTH’S ON FIRE! WHAT THE SHIT? THESE BERRIES SUCK!”

Niki frantically guided Tommy to the pail full of dirty mushroom water, and urged him to wash his mouth out with it.

Phil scratched his neck, feathers puffed out from the sudden fright of the screaming tiefling.

“I guess I picked the fire berries after all...”


	4. Tectus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tubbo, noticing his friend’s sudden change in mood spoke up, worry in his voice, “What’s wrong, Tommy?” The other turned towards him, slight panic in his eyes, “Well uh.. We.. Might’ve lost Wilbur?” Up ahead, he heard Phil suddenly stop, turn and stare directly at the younger. “We WHAT.”

The party had set out in the early morning, dew settling on the soft grass as the six walked through the fog-covered forest. Phil and Techno lead the way, while Niki and Tubbo spoke softly behind them. In the back, Wilbur chatted away to a tired Tommy about his _grand_ adventures before meeting Techno. Unlike the genasi, Tommy would only respond with an occasional grunt or an enthusiastic _‘mhm.. That’s so interesting Wil.’_ The tiefling sighed as the bard spoke, an idea sparked in his mind as he slowed his pace, Wilbur following. He grinned, noticing that the other was too absorbed in his tale to notice what he was planning. When Wilbur took a chance to do a _dramatic_ retelling of something, Tommy sprinted ahead to the rest of the party, snickering to himself as he collided with Tubbo, who squeaked in response. Quickly, Tommy checked behind him, hoping to see the bard walking towards him with anger, saying _Tommy what the hell man I was talking to you, why would you just run off that’s rude._ Only for his heart to drop when he no longer saw the other’s form in the thick fog.

Tubbo, noticing his friend’s sudden change in mood spoke up, worry in his voice, “What’s wrong, Tommy?” The other turned towards him, slight panic in his eyes, “Well uh.. We.. Might’ve lost Wilbur?” Up ahead, he heard Phil suddenly stop, turn and stare directly at the younger.

“We _WHAT_.”

* * *

"And then...! then.. uh.." Wilbur trailed off, dropping his arms to his side, realising the younger had stopped replying entirely. He looked around, noticing that none of his companions were with him, a panic settled in his chest as he spun around, desperate to catch a glimpse of any of his friends' shadows within the fog. "Guys..?" He _hated_ how shaky his voice sounded, he knew that they went on ahead, knew that this was probably some stupid, _poorly thought_ , prank pulled by Tommy. He knew that.

Yet the panic grew, and he felt the sting of tears in his eyes as he desperately searched for the outline of _someone_ , anyone. “Haha.. H-hey guys! Uhh, you left me here!” He called out again, no response. “Okay.. okay Wilbur you’re fine, it’s fine! You just.. Walk the way we were.. Going.” He stopped, groaning when he realised his spinning around made him unable to even tell the way the party was originally going. He felt stupid, getting worked up over being separated. Yet he was never quite okay with being alone. _I’m gonna give an earful to Tommy after this._ He promised himself, taking a deep breath, and hoping that the fog would clear eventually. 

_“But even then.. This forest is huge.. Oh gods, I’m really lost, aren’t I?”_

Then the panic really set in, Wilbur _couldn’t_ do this. Wilbur _really, really_ couldn’t do this. He shook and held his arms closer to himself, taking in shaky breaths as he stumbled backwards, yelping when he tripped over his own feet and fell to the cold, wet forest ground. He tried to hold back a sob bubbling up in his throat, hands finding their way into his hair as he pulled himself closer into a ball, shaking with each quiet sob. _‘Nonononononono please, someone come back, someone notice please..’_

“Please .. I .. I don’t wanna.. Be alone..”

* * *

The party had been quick to retrace their steps, or at least attempt to. Tommy squinted, grabbing onto the sleeve of Tubbo’s shirt, a small tinge of fear of losing the other in the fog. Everyone in the party was tense, and other than the occasional calling out to Wilbur, it was silent. Tommy felt _horrible_ , he picked up on the small whispers of Phil and Techno minutes earlier, _‘We have to find him fast, he doesn’t like being alone.’,_ and the tiefling wished he knew that, wished that they weren’t in the situation of having to find the probably panicked genasi. _‘I don’t even care if he yells at me after this, I kinda deserve it.’_ He sighed, calling out to the genasi, and hearing no response. The tense moments turned into minutes, yet to Tommy, it felt like hours. Tubbo had occasionally told him that it was okay, _‘Tommy you didn’t know, we’ll find him, It’ll be okay!’_. The tiefling didn’t believe him, and his hope at finding Wilbur was dwindling by the minute. 

After a few moments of silent walking, Phil stopped them all. The wings on his head wiggling slightly, the worry on his face growing. “I think I hear crying, that might be him.” He told them, walking towards the sound. Tommy moved to be up next to the older, immediately grabbing onto his sleeve, “Phil? D’you think Wilbur will be mad?” he asked, guilt evident in his voice. Phil just sighed, running a hand over his face as he looked at the tiefling. “He might be, I’m a little as well--” Tommy felt his heart drop at that “--But you didn’t know, just don’t do this sort of thing again, alright son?” Tommy nodded at that, “Yeah..” 

He perked up as he heard muffled sobbing, everyone else seeming to pick up on it as well as everyone moved quicker within the fog, calling out Wilbur’s name. 

* * *

Wilbur didn’t know how long he was crying for, didn’t know how long he was sat on the forest ground, crying into the cold fog because of a _stupid_ prank. It was ridiculous, but the fear of being alone overrode the embarrassment. Another sob escaped him, bringing him back to reality. He realised just how much everything had hurt. His throat raw from the crying, and his limbs ache from the curled position he was in. 

He didn’t know how much longer he kept that position before he heard, “Oh my gods, Wilbur!” and a gentle hand touching his arm. Wilbur lifted his head, seeing Phil crouching in front of him, worry written all over his face. “P.. Phil..” He said weakly, unballing himself and allowing the older to hold him close, hearing the shuffle of wings as he was completely wrapped in a hug. “Hey, we’re here Wilbur, you’re not alone, alright?” Phil’s soft voice melted the tension from the bard’s form, he leaned more into the hug, a gentle hand running through his hair. 

Tommy watched the scene, Phil looked up at him, moving his wings slightly to allow the tiefling in, he glanced over to Techno, and his wings moved again. Techno immediately dropped next to the genasi, whispering to him quietly, too quiet for Tommy to hear. The tiefling slid in on the other side of the genasi, who still had his head buried into Phil’s shoulder, and tapped him gently on the arm, “Wil..?” He said, as soft as he could. Wilbur’s fin moved slightly, but he made no other movement to acknowledge the tiefling, _‘Kinda deserve that..’_ He sighed, fiddling with his fingers before Phil moved his arm, a small gesture for him to take action. Tommy hesitantly wrapped his arms around the bard, “ ‘m really sorry, big man.”

He heard the other sniffle, and then his arms were around him, “Y.. You didn’t know, Tommy..” The tiefling sighed, making a mental note to try his best to make it up to the older later. Moments passed of the two sitting there, hugging in silence as the other four whispered among themselves, Phil’s wings still covering them, eventually they moved apart, and Phil’s wings fell away reluctantly. Wilbur rubbed at his puffy eyes, standing up shakily and wincing at the pain of not moving for a while. The rest followed, standing up and looking around as the fog still lingered.

Phil sighed, “Well, we either wait until the fog finally clears, or I can fly up and try to get a read on the direction we were going..” Tommy felt a pang of guilt once more, If not for his stupid prank, they might’ve been already half way to the next town.  He jumped slightly at the sound of Phil’s wings as he flew upwards, disappearing into the fog. 

An idea sprung in the tiefling’s mind, he bounded over to Niki, “Hey uh, Niki?” He began, nervously. The cleric turned to him, expression gentle, yet still worried, “Do you need anything, Tommy? Is Wilbur okay?” Tommy shrugged at that, looking back to see Techno talking to the man in question. “Look I uhh.. I feel like shit for what I did..” He fiddled with his tail, cursing at himself for getting nervous, “I.. fuckin’.. Uh.. Can y’ help me? With.. just collecting nice flowers for him, or whatever.” 

Niki smiled at that, “Of course I can, Tommy. When we reach the next town, we can search for some he’d like! That’s very kind of you.” The tiefling just grumbled in response, looking where he saw Phil gracefully descend from the sky, “Right, I roughly know which way we should be going, I’ll go up again once this fog clears. Stay close together, alright?” He said, waiting for a response from everyone before slowly walking forward, the party following close behind, while Wilbur was next to Phil, who had a wing around him protectively.

Tommy watched the two carefully, sighing, _‘Kind of me, huh?’_ The words felt painfully bitter in his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyyy wilbs arsonblade here haha longest one i've done as of now uhh
> 
> if u want a follow up of like.., wholesome flower picking?? let me know


	5. Serendipity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy and Phil have a heart to heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI!!!! TRAVIS VILBURSOOT HERE!!!! I WROTE MY SECOND THING FOR THIS (i am so Productive) !!!

Crickets chirped outside the cottage. It was turning dusk, and the sticky heat from the warm air was beginning to turn into a comfortable summers night. Phil noted the array of flowers that were beginning to bloom as he washed up, looking at the window with a strange mix of nostalgic content.

Phil hadn’t experienced a feeling such as the one he was feeling in a long, long time. When he was young, and fell over himself - always due to his oversized wings.

_“You’ll grow into them someday!”_ His mother would say.

He supposed he did grow into them. He hadn’t seen his family in years. Not since he parted ways, deciding that he was tired of being in the same town all the time. Ironic really, since nowadays he only seemed to want to finally settle down.

The boys bickered from the table, something meaningless and probably dumb. Phil wished he could go back to those days. He’s starting to sound old.

Drying the plates and utensils, Phil zoned out in his own thoughts. He moved with muscle memory. Rinse, dry, turn over, dry again, repeat. It was nearly as monotonous as his days were beginning to be.

“-why you don’t have a family.” Everything seemed to still, and Phil’s hands stopped drying the porcelain plate. There was a flurry of colour, and then a few shouts, and then a jarring slam of a door.

Phil turned around, and quickly looked over the three remaining in the house. Niki was stood awkwardly off to the side, a hand on her chest as she looked between the three men. Techno looked just as stunned as Phil felt, his hands were fidgeting around with his belt.

And Wilbur... he was pale, and it didn’t look like he’d moved an inch from when the words had come out of his mouth. His eyes looked glossy and Phil hated this, because he was never good with these things, he wasn’t good with words. He was never good with words.

Taking in a few breaths, Phil organised his thoughts as much as he could.

“Wil, I know you didn’t mean it like that, and I know it was meant to be a harmless joke,” Phil wasn’t sure if Wilbur was listening, so he took a few steps toward him, and stretched a wings around the genesai as comfortingly as he could, “but Tommy’s had a lot going on recently, and he mightn’t have spoken to you about it, but it really wasn’t the time for it. Please, just go and sit down for a bit.”

It had been early morning when Tommy had come to Phil and vented his worries to him. He doesn’t think there was a single time when the tiefling wasn’t talking about his best friend, Tubbo. About how he missed the satyr so, so much, and the guilt he felt from ditching him. Phil had consoled him, had held him in a hug and told him that he’d see Tubbo again - that he promised he’d have them meet again.

_(Tommy didn’t cry though, Tommy doesn’t cry in front of anyone.)_

Phil moved past Wilbur, and nodded to Techno on his way out. A mutual understanding was there, and as Phil left the house, he could just barely hear Techno whisper to Wilbur and guide him away from the kitchen table.

As Phil walked further towards the forest, he noticed that the crickets chirping had ceased, and the night was eerily quiet.

* * *

Had Phil not been on alert, and hadn’t been so hyper vigilant of everything around him, he wouldn’t have heard the silenced sobs that came from inside a brambles clump. He wouldn’t have noticed the faint light that was burning lonely inside it, either.

“Tommy? It’s Phil, can you- do you want to come out? C’mon bud, it’s getting cold.”

He didn’t receive an answer. Crouching down, Phil settled down on the ground beside the bramble clump. He avoided the thorns and nettles that covered the forest floor carefully.

“You’re allowed to be upset Tommy, but please, _please_ know that Wilbur didn’t mean it like that-”

“He was right.”

Phil stopped, stunned for a moment, “What?”

“I-I don’t have a family.”

“You have us, you’ll always have us. Toms, you- you know that right?”

“You’re not really my family. I- I’ll do something dumb, or I’ll get too annoy- annoying an’ you’ll kick me out.” Tommy hiccups, and Phil can just barely see him wiping tears awake thanks to the small fire he lit for himself.

_(Phil realised that something wasn’t right, because Tommy never cries.)_

“Tommy we’re never going to do that-”

Tommy laughed bitterly, “That’s what _they_ said! They- they said they’d never kick me out! They told me everything you all tell me an’ look at what happened!” His voice was raw and sparks of fire flicker in and out of existence as he gets more and more upset.

It was quiet again, almost mockingly quiet. Phil didn’t know what to say. He’d never had this issue with Wilbur or Techno whenever they were upset. He’d never had to deal with something this major before, he couldn’t hug Tommy and tell him everything would be alright. He had nothing to fall back on.

“... Tommy do you remember the day that we met you? We’d stopped by that town for a day, and we were planning on leaving before sundown. But we met you and we stayed for longer than we’d expected? I think about that a lot,” Phil hummed, looking up into the tree’s, reminiscing.

“Do you believe in fate, Tommy?”

“No.”

“I didn’t, until that day. We hadn’t a clue why we were walking down that road, and then we met you - there’s no feasible way I can see that being anything but fate,” he caught onto his words, but continued on anyway, “I’d been talking with Wil and Tech’ about taking in a kid, it’s something I’ve always wanted to do since I was able to care for myself.”

He stretched out his arms, “Something didn’t feel right about ‘choosing’ a kid, y’know? I think that meeting you was fate, I think...” he swallowed thickly, and begged himself not to start crying.

“I think I consider you my son, my- my actual son. You- you’re so... Tommy I care for you, so so much. And I- I don’t expect you to understand how much that is,” he laughed, wiping tears away from his eyes, “be- because I don’t even understand how much it is! I love you, kid, and I’m never letting you go anywhere.”

He heard shuffling from inside the bramble thicket, and then in another moment there was a weight on his stomach. Tommy was buried into Phil’s chest, leaving wet spots where his tears stained onto his shirt.

Phil’s wings instinctively wrapped around Tommy, and he hugged the tiefling until he didn’t feel his sobs racking through his chest. His hand ruffled Tommy’s hair,

“Ye-yeah, you convinced me, fate uh, it probably does exist,” his cheeks burned a darker red and Phil chuckled, patting him on the back, “..I love you too, Dad.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yyeah... maybe I teared up writing this... maybe......


	6. Meraki

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> By the time they reached the town, the fog had completely cleared, and the sun was higher in the sky.
> 
> It was a mostly silent journey, occasional whispers from Phil to Wilbur, but the early morning events weighed heavy on everyone, especially Tommy. As the party quietly made their way into the town, and into the nearest inn, he replayed the events in his head. He’d never seen Wilbur look so.. Destroyed before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *head in hands* HEYYY GUESS WHO FINALLY FINISHED PART 2 TO TECTUS !! me. me i did. wilbur arsonblade. oh ym goddd
> 
> IM SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONGGG AAAAAHHH I DIDNT MEAN TO ...... i hope its alright!!! some fluff to soothe the soul :]

By the time they reached the town, the fog had completely cleared, and the sun was higher in the sky.

It was a mostly silent journey, occasional whispers from Phil to Wilbur, but the early morning events weighed heavy on everyone, especially Tommy. As the party quietly made their way into the town, and into the nearest inn, he replayed the events in his head. He’d never seen Wilbur look so.. Destroyed before.

Tommy wished he never had to see that expression on the older, ever again. He’d never admit, but he  _ does _ care about the little makeshift family they’ve created, he’d never admit it, but Wilbur was like a brother to him. The tiefling grumbled, shaking the  _ soft _ thoughts from his head, choosing to look over at Niki and Tubbo, the two he’d got stuck with regarding rooms. 

_ ‘That’s very kind of you.’ _

He  _ hated _ the fleeting joy he got at that small sentence, he wasn’t kind. He pulled a cruel prank and now he was paying for it with the guilt of it all, the almost outraged  _ and fearful _ expression of Phil, the tight worried one of Techno.. Tommy caused that. He pulled himself up from one of the Inn’s beds, sighing and catching the attention of the elf and satyr. Despite the kindness on both of their faces, he felt a lingering sense of judgement that coiled in the back of his head, he shuffled in discomfort. “Tommy?” He heard, blinking. The two were closer to him, worry etched on their faces, Tubbo’s shaking him slightly. “Hm yeah? Did y’ say something?” 

“We were asking if you were alright..” Niki spoke so  _ gentle _ , Tommy hated how small it made him feel, “Ah.. Also, do you want me to help you with getting flowers for Wil?” Tommy only nodded, already heading for the door, “I’ll come as well! Oh we should probably let Phil know, he’ll probably freak out if we just disappeared..” Tubbo spoke up, rushing ahead of the tiefling, presumingly to tell Phil of their plans, behind him, he heard Niki chuckle softly, as a small, woven basket was suddenly placed in his hands. Tommy looked at the elf, confused.

“For the flowers,” She smiled, “Just easier to carry, come on then.” with that, she was out the door. Tommy stared at the basket for a second, before shyly following the other.

* * *

Phil had let them go, and Tommy was grateful. The tiefling was worried that after the events of the early morning, he wouldn’t want anyone else wandering off.  _ Especially with him.. _

Tommy shook the depressing thoughts from his head, in favour of walking towards the nearby forest, Tubbo next to him and Niki leading, for once he was silent. They talked about general things, what they’d do while they were here, what flowers to pick, and occasionally asking the tiefling for his input. Tubbo was worried,  _ his best friend was almost never this silent _ , he watched as the younger picked at the blanket sitting at the bottom of the basket in his arms, staring straight ahead. The satyr could almost see the thoughts swimming around in his friend’s head. He sighed, taking a few moments before speaking up, “Do you know how to make flower crowns?” he asked, smiling slightly when the tiefling gave him a confused look, “Th’ fuck you think? you literally  _ forced _ me to learn!” He broke into a smile,  _ It was something. _ He thought, laughing slightly, “Just checking! Why don’t we make one for Wilbur?” The tiefling stared at the basket, a small smile on his face as he nodded, “It’ll be the best flower crown he’ll ever fuckin recieve.”

“The best.”

A nod, “The best.”

_ "Or maybe the worst!" _ Tubbo heard the familiar chuckle of his patron, he shook the voice away, desperately trying to focus on Tommy’s words. Eventually, Niki stopped them, pointing to the various flowers that spread across a small clearing, bright specks of white and yellow, and a small amount of a deep purple within the mix. “I’m sure he’ll love these.” She smiled to the two younger boys, with wide grins, the two bounded towards the flowers. 

An hour later, with some bickering and a few snapped stems and ruined petals, Tommy finished his present for Wilbur. 

Whites and purples made up the majority of the flower crown, with some yellow peaking through. Almost reminding the tiefling of a night sky. “Wilbur better fuckin’ like this..” He mumbled, letting Niki take the crown from his hands and place it delicately into the basket. “I’m sure he’ll love it, we should be going, I’m sure they’re bound to get worried.” With that, the elf stood, laughing as Tommy and Tubbo ran ahead back towards the town, their giggles and shouts creating a soft atmosphere. Niki smiled to herself, a weight lifting off her chest as she watched the two. By the time they reached the Inn, the town was bustling with life, Niki gently guided the two boys inside and up to their rooms, coming face to face with Phil, nervously pacing the hallway, the feathers on his wings fluffed out slightly. As soon as the older spotted the trio, he seemed to deflate, quickly walking over. 

“Oh you three are back, safe, alright…” The aasimar let out a small sigh of relief, “Sorry, I know you three would be safe, I just..” Niki smiled, waving him off. “I get it, I was like that with some.. old friends.”

“Ah.. I..” Phil swallowed nervously, “You.. You got Wilbur some flowers, right?” Tommy piped up then, shoving the basket in Phil’s face, “Yeah! We made him a fuckin’ awesome flower crown!” The older smiled at that, leading the trio to the other room, Techno and Wilbur both looked up at the noise of the door opening, the latter giving a small smile to the group. “Oh, you three are back!”

Tommy shuffled nervously, letting Niki and Tubbo tug him towards the genasi, encouraging smiles on their faces. “Uhm.. yeah uh.. Wil, I..” He quickly shoved the flower crown in the genasi’s hands, “‘m uh.. Sorry ‘bout this morning.. And I, uh.. Fuck.. we made that for you.” The tiefling fidgeted with his hands as Wilbur stared at the crudely made crown, a warm smile on his face as he gently placed it in his hair before pulling the younger into a tight hug, “Thank you, Tommy,” He mumbled, “I love it.”

“You better! It’s the best fuckin’ flower crown!”

Tubbo and Niki grinned, chatter filling the room as the atmosphere grew warm. Wilbur smiled, a warm feeling in his chest thinking about the small gift from his  ~~friend~~ pseudo brother.

_ He’s so glad they found him. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fun fact: this fic was literally titled "tectus but part 2" because i couldnt find a word that i liked i dont think im gonna continue with the cool word titles bc AAARGHHH its so hard
> 
> ok yeah bye bye *runs off*


	7. Elegiac

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tubbo has a nightmare, and Techno tries to help him whilst also having his own internal moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAHAH..,. heyyyy guys it’s been like a month but !!! cool guy travis (VILBURSOOT) is here to serve u content :] also we have things on da way!!! I think Wilbur (arsonblade) is writing smth so!! you will b getting fed more soon hopefully!!!

Tubbo was prone to nightmares. It had once gotten to the point, where he’d stay awake to avoid them. When he fell asleep after days without it, he found his rest to be dreamless - exactly how he wanted it. The nightmares came and went, some he forget once he’d wake up, others left him shivering for hours until the sun came up.

Nevertheless, it had been a while since Tubbo had gotten one of these nightmares. It had also been a while since Tubbo was found by the group. It had been a while since he’d been able to see Tommy in person, instead of Tommy being a figment of his dreams used to torment him. He got enough sleep, and Tubbo was happy.

The silence of his patron was starting to blare in Tubbo’s head. He had never gone this long without hearing his Patron crack a grin or feel a cold hand on his shoulder. He also hadn’t had his words catch in his throat, unable to make a sound for minutes, hours, even days.

So although the silence was unnerving, his patron's presence wasn’t missed.

Tubbo clutched the bedsheets just a little tighter, moved around in the bed so that his back was against the wall. He didn’t fall asleep easily that night. The noises of leaves rustling, sticks tapping against the windows and, floorboards creaking with age kept him awake until his eyes stung and sleepiness overshadowed his fear.

When Tubbo opened his eyes, it was loud and cold, and he was shivering. Rain pushed him further and further down the hill that never seemed to end. He kept tumbling down, tripping over rocks and potholes. He was so, so cold, and alone. Why was he so alone?

Where did the group go? Did they leave? Again? He hadn’t done anything wrong this time. He didn’t yell or fight or misbehave. He didn’t hurt anyone. He was being good. He was making sure he wouldn’t get told to leave, wouldn’t be abandoned, wouldn’t be alone. He’s all alone again.

_Tubbo! It’s been a while, kiddo, hasn’t it?_

He clutched his hands against his ears more, desperately trying to block out the voice that rang through his head. When did he start blocking his ears? It hurt. His hands hurt, his head hurt, his body ached.

_You’re never alone! You’ve always got me! Even when all of your friends abandon you - as everyone does - I’ll be here! I’ll always be here, with you. You’ll never be alone._

He started running again, sprinting against the rain. It started to burn, funnily enough. He was so cold yet every step he took up the hill made the rain boil hotter and hotter. 

From behind him, Tubbo heard cheers and laughter, and he could feel a home. A home full of happiness and love. A home with Tommy, and the others. A home that felt more like a family than his true family had. A home that was never supposed to abandon him. 

No. This wasn’t real, this was a nightmare. Tubbo turned around and headed back towards the house. His home. His family. He heard his patron tut in the back of his head.

_They haven’t left yet, but they will. You know they will. You thought your family wouldn’t, but they did. It’s the same as before, they’ll act like they care- and once they find out! You’re gone kiddo._

_And you’ll be alone again, with me._

It was raining when Tubbo jumped awake, gasping for air. He leant against the wall, pulling the blankets closer to him and desperately trying to reassure himself that his patron was lying. He felt his throat tighten threateningly, and Tubbo began to cry.

* * *

  
Techno paced outside the spare room’s door, contemplating going into the room to see what had caused a startled scream. He’d been awake reading through old books that Niki kept on her shelves, skimming through their contents and bookmarking pages of interest. The scream had been muffled, but the house was silent aside from the crackle of candles. It hadn’t been loud enough to wake anyone, but it was enough for Techno to be just a little worried.

He wasn’t good with kids, or emotions. He could handle Tommy, but Tommy was also a gremlin that dug a hole in Techno’s heart and never left. He had time for the kid, and he knew that Tommy was aware of this - as Techno had on multiple occasions covered for him.

If you asked Techno whether Tommy had stolen those bags of sweets, he’d say no, and then recite how he’d spent his money and I made sure to stress that he paid for them. If you asked the sweet shop lady, she would have some very choice words, which included calling Tommy ‘a little rat that stole her goods.’.

It was only once Techno hear muffled crying that he managed to knock on the door, and open it despite not being sure whether he had been welcomed in. He stood there, for a moment, staring blankly at the curled up form of Tubbo. And then he realised that, oh shit, he should do something.

Hesitantly, he moved towards the side of Tubbo’s bed, and carefully pulled the chair away from the small table. He sat down, wincing as it groaned. It was made for decoration, he supposed. 

“You.. you okay? I uh, I heard you yell from the kitchen and I got worried so I came just to check and you... don’t look the greatest.” No response. Techno kicked himself, he should’ve just woken Phil up, he was better at this. But, it was too late, and he was here, and by leaving he’d probably make it worse. 

He picked at the threads of his pants, “...Nightmare?” A nod. Okay, good. He was getting somewhere. He knew how to handle those. He had those. He could do this.

“I had those too, as a kid- I um, I still get ‘em, too, sometimes. That’s not why I don’t sleep. I don’t sleep for other reasons. Maybe a part of it’s ‘cause of nightmares but-“ Tubbo looked at Techno. His eyes were rimmed with red, puffy, and tear stricken. Techno cursed in his head, he was really bad at this.

He tugged harder at a thread in his pants, cutting it in half with his nails, “I can leave if you want-“ Tubbo breathed out sharply, shaking his head and reaching a hand out to Techno. Only then did the hogfolk notice the red markings that spread over Tubbo’s skin, glowing softly.

Tubbo flinched backward once he realised, hiding his arm back under the blanket. However, from where Techno was sitting, markings that trailed up Tubbo’s neck and to his cheek were now noticeable. He grunted, he vaguely recognised them. Patron markings. He was never told that Tubbo was a warlock.

He gestured at the markings, “Warlock?” A moment passed, before a very slight nod was given to Techno.

“You never told us? We wouldn’t have done anythin, y’know..” Tubbo shrugged, pulling the blanket up so that the entirety of it was wrapped around him. Tubbo opened his mouth, seemingly about to respond, but Techno could almost hear the whisper of his breath being taken away.

And then the kid started crying again. Techno helped where he could, and briefly, he could remember when Phil had helped him through his nightmares - a hand on his back, warm and reassuring. Kind words, open arms. He tried to mimic it as best as he could, rubbed Tubbo’s back even though his hands were cold and he very obviously hadn’t comforted anyone before. Any words that Techno wanted to say escaped him, funnily, without it being the work of magic.

He remembered when Tommy had been with them for a few months, and he’d started opening up more. He told stories of his old family, town, friends. And in nearly every story Tubbo was mentioned (only in the good stories, only once had Tubbo ever been mentioned negatively and the instance was never spoken of again). 

He also remembered a part of him feeling envious of their friendship. Briefly, when he wished his younger self had someone who was there for him. Someone who was his other half, someone who knew everything about him and chose to stay. But then he remembered the gut-wrenching day that Tommy had spoken of Tubbo negatively. It was like a firecracker had been lying in a ring of fire, waiting for the moment for it to spark and explode. And it had, and it scared Techno.

So, Techno was glad he didn’t have another half. He had Phil, he had Wilbur, he had his friends. But none of them, he didn’t think, would ever share the same closeness that Tommy and Tubbo had. There would always be things left out, years went by without one another. But Tommy and Tubbo had been a constant in each other lives since as far back as they could remember. 

It frightened Techno. 

But, what frightened him more was the fact that things had changed so drastically. When they’d found Tubbo, it was awkward for about two days, until the boys got back into the rhythm of each other. Of having each other. Of the other not being an old friend, one that they’d assumed they’d never see again. 

But Tommy had admitted to Wilbur one night, when he falsely assumed no one else in the house was awake, that things weren’t the same. That he didn’t feel like he knew Tubbo as much anymore, that they’d both changed, and neither wanted to talk about it. 

Techno blinked back into reality, looking at Tubbo again. He stopped crying, or at least stopped shaking. He was now just leaning against Techno, tracing the red markings that spindled up his arm. This wasn’t something Tubbo would have told Tommy about. He doesn’t think Tubbo would’ve told anyone. 

“I’m not gonna say anythin’ to the others,” he vaguely gestured at Tubbo’s arm with his free hand; his other hand holding Tubbo closer to him, “...but I hope that you talk to Tommy about it... he worries about you ‘n what he’s missed...”

Tubbo nodded hesitantly. Techno wasn’t going to force him to do anything, but he also didn’t want to have to keep this from Tommy. And maybe, just maybe, he saw a small part of himself in both the boys. Despite the idea being terrifying, he thinks a part of himself will always be envious of Tommy and Tubbo’s friendship. A part of him yearning to be understood like that. So while he himself mightn’t be able to get that, he can at least guide the two towards a path that rekindles it.

Tubbo was embarrassed when Techno found him crying. But the invisible smoke that filled his lungs stopped him from voicing anything to the hogfolk. He’s too lethargic to stop himself from moving forward to stop Techno from leaving, to realise that his tattoos would be on full display. 

He expects to be kicked out then and there. He can hear the whisper of his Patron, can feel his body ache from walking aimlessly, can feel the numbing loss of another group of friends, family. 

Needless to say, he was surprised when the whispers were proven wrong. When he was welcomed into Techno’s arms. His patrons' jeers faded after a while, and he took Techno’s advice to heart. He should talk to Tommy. He owed him an explanation, and an apology, and probably a whole lot more. 

However, he was content with where he was now, leaning against Techno with covers draped over him. He vaguely registers being moved around to a more comfortable position. Techno didn’t leave Tubbo’s side that entire night.

And when asked why Tubbo had asked Tommy to take a walk with him the following morning, Techno shrugged. He supposed both the kids had carved out a hole in his heart for themselves, not that he’ll ever admit that. 


	8. Cloudburst

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It only took the gentle pattering of rain to stir Wilbur from his sleep, excitement already flowing through him as he slowly sat up, looking towards the window.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh my god ? fluff in the sbidnd au? unheard of haha am i right chat?
> 
> anyways yeah have this ! not da best because i wrote half of it with a headache LMAO but anyways

It only took the gentle pattering of rain to stir Wilbur from his sleep, excitement already flowing through him as he slowly sat up, looking towards the window, he grinned at the sight of rain. Carefully, to not stir the other sleeping form in the room, he creeped towards the door, scurrying down the stairs and towards the front door, barely containing his own excitement. Before he could fling the door open, he heard a gentle whisper.

“Wil?”

_ Ah, _ Phil was up still. Wilbur turned, seeing the Aasimar walking towards him, a gentle glow illuminating the dark house in the late night, a knowing glint in his eyes as he gestured towards the door. “Going out in the rain, are you?” Wilbur only nodded, a grin on his face already, he didn’t wish to speak,  _ he rarely got a moment as soft as this. _ Phil smiled back, nodding his approval, Wilbur gently pushed open the front door, breathing in the earthy smell, and smiling at the gentle  _ thrum  _ of rain hitting the ground.

He rushed out, feeling the cool water hit against him, spinning around and laughing gleefully, in the corner he could see Phil watching him from the porch of the cottage, a beacon of safety. The genasi could feel his clothes grow heavy from the onpour, but this was _ his _ moment, he could replace clothes, but he couldn’t replace this feeling.

He fell backwards, feeling the rain hit against his face and cool his skin, the wet grass under him tickling and soaking his back as that gentle  _ pitter patter _ grew into a proper storm, if he listened closely, he could hear the distant roar of thunder. He grinned, the promise of a storm being enough to fill him with joy. The gentle thrum grew more wild, and the gentle breeze picked up, excited to bring this storm overhead. Wilbur let out a laugh at the wild weather around him, feeling warm despite the chill.

He heard footsteps against soaked grass, and he was then shielded from the rain, opening an eye, he saw Phil holding out a hand to him, wings above him to keep him dry. The faint yellow glow brighter than before, painting Phil as the perfect image of  _ safety _ . 

An idea popped into Wilbur’s head, he grinned, taking Phil’s hand and hoisting himself up, before pulling the Aasimar along with him to dance in the rain. He heard the older’s laughter, and protest,  _ Wil, i’m gonna get soaked! _ , yet he made no attempt to pull away. The two danced around in the soaked grass, laughter swallowed in the downpour of rain, and the grumble of distant thunder. An occasional bright flash lit up the dark sky, electing an occasional shriek from the genasi, who smoothed it over with another burst of giggles.

Eventually, when the rain began to fall faster, and the wind grew more wild, Phil pulled Wilbur back towards the cottage’s porch, out of breath and soaked to the bone. The genasi panted, an occasional giggle still coming from him as he  _ radiated  _ joy from the late night rain. The aasimar smiled softly, leading them inside and hurrying to find a towel, leaving Wilbur with a gentle order to  _ stay there, don’t go soaking and ruining the furniture! _

The genasi smiled, leaning his head against the door and listening to the outside rain, he couldn’t care less at the itchy feeling of wet clothes, or that he was shivering slightly. He’d always take a chance to dance in the rain.  _ And this time, he got to share that moment with Phil. _

Phil came back, handing Wilbur a new pair of clothes, and a towel. A gentle order to dry himself off before heading off towards the kitchen. Wilbur changed, bundling his clothes within the towel and headed towards the small living space, noticing the fireplace already lit. He placed the bundle next to him, staring into the fire and smiling.  _ Comfortable.  _

Phil returned once more, draping a blanket over the genasi and handing him a small cup of tea, before settling down next to him. No words were spoken as the two of them listened to the crackle of fire, and the gentle pour of rain outside.

Wilbur felt safe. In this moment, he felt  _ home _ .


End file.
